Safety concerns lead to recall of 10,000 popular child car seats
Across the country, over 10,000 high-end child car seats are being removed from sale from stores.
This will be followed with a recall of about 6,000 of Maxi-Cosi's Euro Convertible Car Seat A2 models due to concerns over their safety. Parents had noticed the safety straps could become dangerously loose while driving.
Prior to this, 5,000 later model car seats (the A4) were taken off the shelves voluntarily by the company after it was revealed that they were being sold illegally as they didn’t have their safety standard certification.
Consumers have been warned of the dangers of the seats by motoring groups from across Australia. The first warning came from the Royal Automobile Association of South Australia (RAA).
Spokeswoman for the RAA Belinda Maloney said the issue with the straps in the A2 model could allow a child to be ejected from the seat.
She also held concerns about the A4 model.
"It's an illegal restraint — shouldn't be sold, shouldn't be used," she said.
"Obviously for retailers that's a problem for them."
For the customers who own these seats, a replacement cover will be offered for the A2 model which would make it safe to use. For those who own the A4 model, a replacement will also be offered.
Maxi-Cosi is a popular choice for many Australian families, with more than 250,000 units sold here each year.
Spokeswoman for Dorel Sharyn Perry, the company that makes the seats, said the company had not been able to replicate the fault on the A2 model online without purposely misusing the product.
She said that although the product was phased out in March some retailers could still have some of the car seats for sale.
"Consistent with our priority of continuous improvement in safety and through internal testing, we have been able to further improve the fitting by increasing the space around the trim and the harness adjuster," she said.
She called the lack of safety certification for the A4 model "an administrative oversight".
"Importantly, all dynamic testing is complete and we have documentation our A4 car seat passed crash lab testing," she said.
"There can be a lag between passing dynamic testing, documentation sign-off and receiving the official certification certificate."
Melinda Spiteri, Royal Automobile Club of Victoria road user manager, said that the idea of an uncertified child car seat being available for sale in Australia was disappointing.
"Our members and all parents of young children should be able to have confidence in products available for purchase," she said.
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